


The Promise of Three

by LadiSadi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Bad Decisions, Depression, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, References to Depression, Stressed Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 11:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21135815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadiSadi/pseuds/LadiSadi
Summary: Lance is a stressed out, recently laid off, 25 year old, with mounting student debt and no one to turn to for help. So he does the one thing he can think of to help pay off his debt, if he just got clipped by a car, the insurance money could pay off his student debt, right? Well, a good samaritan isn't going to let that happen.





	The Promise of Three

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oh_Contrary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_Contrary/gifts).

> I thought up this au over a year ago and have played with it here and there, but it was all thanks to Tay that I even thought it up and it turned into what it is. So naturally, I got the first chapter all fleshed out to post for her birthday today!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAY! I hope you love it! I will try to work on this regularly in addition to Twintution (which will update soon). Anyways, ENJOY!

Lance was at the brink of exhaustion and at his wits end with his student loans. He was running out of options and he was going to miss another payment. Not sure he could handle the stress anymore he looked down the road. A bus was coming._ Maybe if it just grazed me, that would be enough to pay things off. _ He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stepped off the curb.  
  
Lance tensed as he heard the bus horn and a woman screamed, but suddenly he was yanked back on the sidewalk and fell back on a firm body. He could hear people rushing over to see if he was okay, but all the stress finally hit him and he began sobbing. He tried to roll away, but the stranger beneath him held tight and sat up with him.  
  
"He’s okay," he told the crowd. "Please, give him some space."

Lance turned in the man’s arms and hid his face in the broad chest. Lance sobbed and shook as he began to hyperventilate. _ I just tried to kill myself _ he repeated over and over in his head, not noticing that he had started to say it out loud.  


A firm hand rubbed soothing circles on his back, "Hey. You're okay. Take a deep breath. Can you stand?”  
  
Lance barely heard the man over the broken record in his head, but he nodded slowly, registering the question.  
  
“Okay, let's stand up and I'm going to take you somewhere quiet." They both stood together, but Lance's knees gave out and he nearly fell to the floor with another sob. Again this stranger caught him and pulled him back to his feet. "I'm going to carry you, okay?" Lance nodded and gasped as he was scooped up and held close to the man's chest.

"I'm going to take you somewhere quiet, okay? My name is Shiro. Can you tell me your name?" Shiro was already heading down the street. He continued to rub the boy's arm and spoke in a calm, soothing voice. The other man was obviously having a breakdown, but he needed to get some basic information.

Lance shook his head and covered his face with his hands. _ How could I do that? Why would I do that? _ He couldn't tell this man-- Shiro, he couldn't burden him with more information. _ What if he's taking me to the hospital. I can't afford that! _ Lance began to shake and hyperventilate again. 

Shiro frowned and stopped walking. “Hey. It's okay. You're okay. Please, just take deep breaths.” They were almost to his desired destination. Almost to a quiet place where he could sit him down and really focus on calming the man in his arms. “I need you to listen to me, you have to breathe.”

“N-not th-th-the,” he choked around a sob and ran his fingers into his bangs and pulled on his hair, “hos-pi-taal.” He continued to shake and cry, not hearing anything Shiro was saying.

Biting his lip and looking over the boy again, he was conflicted. _ Maybe he should go to the hospital. _ He took a moment to breathe and shook his head. _ No. Stick with your plan. Your gut is always right. _ Holding him tighter, Shiro quickened his pace and made it down to the next block in no time, pushing through a weathered green door and heading to the left. He practically ran up the twisting flight of stairs, taking them two at a time, and kicking the door open when he reached the top.

“SHIRO WHAT THE FUCK-” the man inside spun around and frowned, “happened? What is going on?” He continued both confused and concerned.

“Keith. Go get me water and a blanket.” Shiro walked straight to the couch they had in the studio and set the man down and kneeled in front of him, sliding his hands over the younger man's forearms. “Stop. You're hurting yourself.”

Keith came back quietly with a cold water bottle and a blanket, gently draping it over the stranger's shoulder and sitting on the coffee table across from him.

Lance had an iron grip on his hair and refused to let go. Shiro sighed and ran his hands up to his wrists. “Please stop. I don't want you to hurt yourself.” The boy slowly loosened his grip, but kept his hands in place, stuttering through now dry sobs. Shiro smiled a little and gently pulled his hands away. He ducked down to catch his line of vision. “You're okay now. I promise. We aren't at a hospital. You are safe.”

As soon as his savior caught his eye, Lance couldn't look away. The man was breathtaking, mind numbingly gorgeous. Lance watched his lips move, but heard nothing. His breathing began to slow and his eyes flicked to the other man in the room, also gorgeous. _ Did I actually die? _His breathing started to picture up and Shiro was suddenly in his line of sight again. Speaking slowly, Lance heard him this time.

‘Breathe with me. Deep breath in,” he took a breath to lead by example, “2-3-4. Hold for seven. 2-3-4-5-6-7. Out for eight.” He exhaled and watched Lance to make sure he was following instructions, “4-5-6-7-8. Good again.” 

Shiro continued this three more times until he could see the man had visibly relaxed. “Good.” He smiled and held his hand. “Do you remember my name?”

“Shiro?” Lance's voice was rough and barely above a whisper.

Shiro grinned. “Yes. I'm Shiro and this is Keith.” He gestured to the man on the coffee table in front of him. “Can you tell us your name?”

He looked at the man on the table again. Keith gave him a small smile, but didn't seem as calm and confident as Shiro, who was watching him carefully, quietly counting breaths to him, patiently waiting for a response. He looked…..annoyed. Lance frowned and looked back to Shiro, “Lance…” he cleared his throat and spoke a little louder, “the name’s Lance.”

Shiro smiled and pulled back his right hand, holding it out between them, “It’s nice to meet you, Lance.”

Lance looked down and hesitated. _ It's not real? How did I not notice? _ He frowned at himself and shook his head a little, then took Shiro’s prosthetic hand in his own and shook it gently. Looking back up, he saw Shiro still smiling at him. “Why are you being so kind to me?” Shiro’s face flickered with confusion and Lance froze, suddenly realizing he spoke aloud and pulled back. “I--I’m sorry! You just-- thank you, but I-- I can’t be-- I can’t--” Lance couldn’t get the words out He couldn’t apologize for being a burden. He rose to his feet suddenly, wobbling but managing to stay up this time. “I have to go!” 

Shiro leaned back into Keith, surprised by the sudden movement, and barely missed being hit as Lance suddenly ran out the door. He moved to follow, but was stopped by two hands, firmly gripping his shoulders. “Keith, let me go.”

“No.”

“Keith!”

“Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“Keith he just tried to kill himself!” Shiro pulled Keith's hands off his shoulders and ran for the door. “We’ll talk later.” With that Shiro was running out the door leaving Keith to just stare at the couch, annoyed and confused.

Lance stumbled down the stairs, barely managing to keep on his feet. Everything was too much. As he got outside, he looked around and realized he had no idea where he was, but he heard his name being called from just inside and made the rash choice to just run in the direction he was facing. He sped down the street and turned the corner when he couldn’t cross. Winding through the city, making decisions based on what his fastest option was until he tripped and stumbled near an ally, exhaustion hitting him as he fell to his hands and knees with a sob. Slowly he crawled into the alley and curled in on himself, trying and failing not to cry.

When Shiro came out the door, he saw a glimpse of the man he had just saved run around the corner and he sprinted after him. He thought he might gain on him, knowing the area well, but when he rounded the corner, Lance was nearly to the end of the block, not only did Shiro come to find Lance was fast, but the man was 90 percent leg, so he had a huge stride to increase his pace. Shiro cursed and kept after him. He tried to call out to Lance, but noticed that made him more frantic and decided to just follow. It would be safer. At least he could catch up when Lance got tired, right?

Unfortunately, Lance made the cross at the end of the third block that Shiro didn’t make. Nervously he tried to track the brunet’s movements, a bus blocked his path just before the light changed over and when Shiro got the clear to cross, Lance was gone. _ Fuck. _Shiro ran to the end of the block and looked around frantically, but couldn’t see Lance anywhere. “LANCE!: He called desperately and ran around the corner figuring it was the fastest way for Lance to disappear. He ran passed an alley without looking down it and turned to cross the street at the end of the block. 

Lance held his breath when he heard his name shouted. He stayed as silent as possible for minutes on end, until he deemed it safe not to be found, not to be a burden on the poor man that saved him. But save him from what? From a miserable life? Lance was just laid off, he had mounting debt, both student and credit card, and he couldn’t ask for help. His parents had enough on their plate. Death would have saved them and him from any of those problems. Lance steadily spiraled back into the depths of his depression and self loathing, wishing he had not been stopped earlier. 

Two blocks later, Shiro pulled out his phone and called Keith. It rang twice and then there was a sigh on the other end. “Keith…I lost him.”

“Shiro, where are you?”

“Central and Ninth. I was on Hope, he crossed the street before me and--”

“Come back.”

“Keith. I can’t just...I can’t leave him. He tried to kill himself and now he is gone.” Shiro’s breathing hadn’t slowed even though he was no longer running.

“Takashi. I know you feel like you need to help this guy, but he doesn’t want it. You tried and he ran away. Just...come back. I’m sure he’ll be okay.” 

“Keith! You didn’t see him. Not like I did. He doesn’t want to die. He is just scared. He had no one to go to. I can’t give up now. If I do...he just might really go through with it. I can’t live with that. I can’t give up. Even if it’s just to get him through another day, I have to try.”

Keith groaned and Shiro could see him pinching the bridge of his nose like he always did when they disagreed. “Fine. I’m on my way. Did you pass any bus stops he could have got on? Or usual taxi spots? Businesses open to the public? Alleyways?” 

Shiro spun around, “I don’t know. Maybe? I wasn’t really...fuck I should have paid attention to that.”

“Shiro. Please calm down. You aren’t going to help if you panic too and you know that. What direction are you heading?” there was a slam and the jingle of keys in a lock before Keith’s breathing picked up and his voice echoed back into the phone from the stairwell. “I’ll meet you there.”

Shiro took a deep breath, “Okay. I’m on the north side of Ninth heading back to Central.”

“Do no pass Central. I’ll meet you there. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay. Thank you Keith.”

“Mhmm. You owe me.”

“I love you.”

Keith sighed and grabbed his helmet, “I love you too. I’m getting on my bike. See you in five.”

The line went dead and Shiro put his phone away, looking carefully around the street. “Lance? God. Lance, please let me help you…” 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on my other social media:  
Twitter: @ladisadi (personal) @CryptidWrites (fandom/writing)  
Instagram: @ladisadi_writes  
Tumblr: ladisadi.tumblr.com


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